JP2005260314A - Communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication terminal the application range of which can be extended by making various display modes available. <P>SOLUTION: A mobile phone 1 can take operating attitudes and a standby state, and is provided with a first casing 3 and a second casing 5. The first casing 3 has a first display panel 11. The second casing 5 is mounted to the first casing 3 so as to take the operating state and the standby state, and includes a second display panel 21 located at the same side as the first display panel in a state that any of the operating attitudes is taken. Then at least either first or second display panels 11, 21, can display an operation screen for receiving external entry operations. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal device, and more particularly to a communication terminal device that can adopt a use posture and a standby posture.

  In a communication terminal device such as a cellular phone, a foldable type in which two casings are connected so as to be freely opened and closed is known. In general, a foldable mobile phone is configured to be able to adopt a use posture in which two casings are opened at a predetermined angle and a standby posture in which these are closed. A display panel is provided on the inner surface side of one housing, and operation buttons for input operations and the like are provided on the inner surface side of the other housing.

  In addition, a conventional mobile phone having a camera function in addition to a telephone function and a mail function has already been proposed. In a model having a camera function, a camera unit is usually provided on the back side of one housing, and an image photographed thereby is displayed on a display unit on the inner surface side.

In a conventional mobile phone, for example, a technique has been proposed in which a plurality of mobile phones are arranged side by side so that each display unit is arranged, and one image is displayed across the plurality of display units (for example, patents). Reference 1).
JP 2003-5947 A

  However, since it is common for a user of a cellular phone to have only one for personal use, it is difficult to display a certain image side by side in a special case as in the conventional technique. Limited. And in each mobile phone, the size of the housing is restricted to ensure portability, so the size of the display unit is inevitably limited, and the display content is displayed in a certain size or larger. Can not do it.

  On the other hand, in the conventional mobile phone, various techniques have been proposed for additional functions such as a camera function, but the functions of the mobile phone main body have not progressed much.

  The subject of this invention is providing the communication terminal device in which a various display aspect is possible, and exists in extending the utilization range of a communication terminal device.

  A communication terminal device according to a first aspect is a device that can adopt a use posture and a standby posture, and includes a first housing and a second housing. The first housing has a first display unit. The second housing is mounted so as to be able to adopt a use posture and a standby posture with respect to the first housing, and has a second display unit arranged on the same side as the first display unit in a state where the use posture is adopted. At least one of the first and second display units can display an operation screen that accepts an input operation from the outside.

  In this device, since the display panel is provided in each of the two housings, an operation screen is displayed on the display panel in a use posture to replace an operation button of a conventional mobile phone, or two display Content related to the panel can be displayed in cooperation with each other, or one image can be displayed on the two display panels.

  In the present invention, the operation screen only needs to be displayed on at least one display unit, and is not fixedly displayed on any display unit. In addition, being arranged on the same side means, for example, that the user can see two display units at the same time in a use posture, and is provided on the inner surface side and the rear surface side of one housing. The displayed display parts are excluded.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the communication terminal device according to the first aspect, the first and second display units perform a display operation in cooperation or connection.

  In this device, since the two display units perform a display operation in cooperation with each other, it is possible to display related information over a wider area, and the display area can be expanded to make the display content easier to see. There are benefits.

  In the present invention, the term “cooperation” refers to a mode in which two display units display display contents that are related to each other. In this case, different screens may be displayed on the two display units as long as the contents are related to each other. On the other hand, the term “connected” refers to a mode in which one display content is displayed across two display units.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the communication terminal device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the use posture includes a first use posture in which control in the normal mode is performed and a second use posture in which control in the specific function mode is performed. Is included. And the 1st and 2nd housing | casing is comprised so that the 1st and 2nd use attitude | position can be taken.

In this device, it is possible to control in a plurality of different modes by utilizing the fact that it can take a plurality of usage postures. In the present invention, the normal mode is a telephone that can be used by a conventional communication terminal device. In addition, a communication function such as e-mail and a camera function are included, and in particular, in the case of a camera function, it refers to a function that projects an image only on one display unit. The specific function mode includes, for example, a function of projecting images on two display units in the case of a camera function.

  When the communication terminal device according to claim 4 adopts the first use posture in the device according to claim 3, at least one of the first and second display units displays an operation screen.

  Specifically, in this device, when the first use posture is taken and the normal mode is set, an operation screen is displayed on the second display unit, and various operations can be performed in the same manner as conventional button operations and the like. .

  When the communication terminal device according to claim 5 adopts the second usage posture in the device according to claim 3 or 4, the first and second display units perform display operations in cooperation or connection.

  In this device, when the second usage posture is adopted and the specific function mode is set, two display units can be linked or connected to display one display content.

  A communication terminal device according to a sixth aspect is the device according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein the specific function includes a wide camera function.

  Specifically, in this device, when the wide camera function is selected by adopting the second usage posture, it is possible to display an image taken across the two display units, and the usage range of the communication terminal device is expanded. .

  In the present invention, the wide camera function refers to a function capable of displaying an image taken by a camera provided in a communication terminal device across two display units.

  According to the present invention, since the display panel is provided in each of the two housings, the operation screen is displayed on one display panel in the use posture, and the same input operation as that of the conventional operation button is performed. Can be performed or one image can be displayed across two display panels, and various forms of usage that have not existed in the past can be created.

[Configuration of mobile phone]
1 to 3 show a mobile phone 1 in which an embodiment of the present invention is adopted.

  The mobile phone 1 is a folding type that can be opened and closed between a use posture and a standby posture, and includes a first housing 3 and a second housing 5.

  The first housing 3 has a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a first display panel 11 and a speaker portion 13 provided on the inner surface side, and a connection portion 15 provided at an end portion on the second housing 5 side. And a camera unit 17 provided on the outer surface side. The first display panel 11 is composed of a liquid crystal display, and predetermined display contents are displayed by the control unit 7 (described later). The speaker unit 13 is generated by converting an electrical signal from the other party during a call into voice information. The connection portion 15 is a portion that is attached to the second housing 5. The camera unit 17 includes a lens and an imaging device (not shown), and can display image information captured from the outside on the display panels 11 and 21 via the control unit 7.

  The second housing 5 has a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes a second display panel 21 and a microphone portion 23 provided on the inner surface side, and a connection portion 25 provided at an end portion on the first housing 3 side. The operation button 27 (see FIG. 4) provided on the side portion and jog dials 29 and 30 provided on the side portion and the end portion, respectively, are provided. The second display panel 21 is configured by a touch panel type liquid crystal display, and predetermined display contents are displayed by the control unit 7. The microphone unit 23 converts voice information such as a user's voice into an electrical signal to be sent to the other party.

  The connecting portion 25, together with the connecting portion 15 of the first housing 3, constitutes a hinge that allows the first and second housings 3 and 5 to rotate, and the first and second housings 3 and 5 are mutually connected. A standby posture closed so that the inner surfaces face each other and a use posture (see FIGS. 2 and 3) in which the first and second housings 3 and 5 are opened can be adopted. The usage posture includes the first usage posture shown in FIG. 2 and the second usage posture shown in FIG. The first housing 3 and the second housing 5 open at an angle of 165 ° in the first use posture, and open at an angle of 180 ° in the second use posture. The two display units 11 and 21 are directed to the same side with respect to the user. A sensor 26 for detecting the relative angle between the first and second housings 3 and 5 is disposed between the two connection portions 15 and 25.

  The operation button 27 functions as a shutter button for releasing the shutter in the wide camera mode described later.

  The jog dials 29 and 30 are for moving a cursor 31 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, vertically and horizontally in the wide camera mode.

A control unit 7 is arranged inside these two casings 3 and 5.
As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 7 is connected to the first and second display panels 11, 21, the speaker unit 13, the microphone unit 23, the camera unit 17, and the sensor 26. The control unit 7 determines which use posture is in accordance with the angle detected by the sensor 26, performs control in the normal mode in the first use posture, and performs control in the wide camera mode in the second use posture. It is configured as follows.

  In the normal mode, calls and e-mails can be sent and received, and shooting in the same camera mode as before can be performed. In the normal mode, the control unit 7 displays a standby screen including a clock display on the first display panel 11 and a captured image in the normal camera mode, and displays an operation screen 22 on the second display panel 21. To do. Various buttons such as a numeric keypad for accepting a user's input operation are displayed on the operation screen 22 so that operations similar to those of a conventional mobile phone can be performed.

  In the wide camera mode, an image captured by the camera unit 17 can be displayed across the first and second display panels 11 and 21. That is, in the wide camera mode, one display content can be displayed on two display panels. In the wide camera mode, it is also possible to display images captured in the past in the wide camera mode. In the wide camera mode, the control unit 7 has a function of cutting out a partial area of the image. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, a cursor 31 having a predetermined size is displayed and the jog dial is displayed. The cursor 31 can be moved by 29 and 30 to an arbitrary position to be cut out.

  Note that the control unit 7 can perform control related to notification of incoming calls and mails, a clock, a timer, and the like even in a standby posture.

[Operation of mobile phone]
Next, the operation of the mobile phone 1 will be described.

  In the cellular phone 1, when using the telephone, mail function, etc., the first casing 3 and the second casing 5 are opened to the first use posture. Then, the control in the normal mode is performed, and the telephone, mail function, and the same camera function as the conventional one can be used. At this time, the operation screen 22 is displayed on the second display panel 21, and the user can input the telephone number of the other party, compose a mail, or release the shutter.

  On the other hand, when using the wide camera mode, the first and second housings 3 and 5 are further opened from the first use posture to the second use posture. Then, the mode is switched to the wide camera mode, and an image captured by the camera unit 17 is displayed across both the first and second display panels 21. Then, the shutter can be released by pressing the operation button 27 at a predetermined timing.

  In such a wide camera mode, a predetermined cursor 31 can be displayed as shown in FIG. 4, and the jog dials 29 and 30 can be moved to arbitrary positions to cut out only a part of the area. For example, the image cut out in this way can be sent by mail by returning the mobile phone 1 to the first use posture and switching to the normal mode.

  According to the mobile phone 1 described above, since the display panel is provided in each of the two cases, the operation screen 22 is displayed on one display panel, and the input operation is performed in the same manner as the conventional operation buttons. Can be performed, and one image can be displayed on two display panels as in the wide camera mode.

  For example, according to such a cellular phone 1, in the normal mode, a camera for making a videophone call that reflects the face of the other party in a call in one case and simultaneously showing the other party in a call in the other case It is possible to take an image by shooting, or to display an image by camera shooting in one casing and to display a standby screen that was not displayed in the conventional camera mode in the other casing.

[Other Embodiments]
(A) The mobile phone may be configured to take three or more types of usage postures and perform different control for each usage posture. Moreover, the angle of each use posture is not limited to what was demonstrated in the said embodiment.

  (B) In the above embodiment, the operation screen may be displayed on the first display panel instead of the second display panel, or may be displayed across the two display units.

(C) The two display panels may be controlled so that separate displays are performed without cooperation.
(D) The mobile phone is not limited to a folding type, and may be a revolver type or a composite type of these.

  (E) The present invention can be applied to any communication terminal device having two housings that can take two or more postures. In addition to a mobile phone, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a mobile computer, etc. It can also be applied to other communication terminal devices.

The block diagram which shows typically the structure of the mobile telephone by which one Embodiment of this invention was employ | adopted. The perspective view which shows the said mobile telephone in a 1st use attitude | position. The perspective view which shows the said mobile telephone in a 2nd use attitude | position. The top view which shows the mobile telephone of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile phone 3 1st housing | casing 5 2nd housing | casing 11 1st display panel 21 2nd display panel

Claims (6)

A communication terminal device that can adopt a use posture and a standby posture,
A first housing having a first display;
A second housing that is mounted on the first housing so as to be able to adopt the use posture and the standby posture, and has a second display portion that is disposed on the same side as the first display portion in the state where the use posture is filtered. And
At least one of the first and second display units can display an operation screen that accepts an input operation from the outside.
Communication terminal equipment.   The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second display units perform display operations in cooperation or connection. The usage posture includes a first usage posture in which the control in the normal mode is performed and a second usage posture in which the control in the specific function mode is performed,
The first and second housings are configured to adopt the first and second usage postures.
The communication terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.   The communication terminal device according to claim 3, wherein, when the first usage posture is adopted, at least one of the first and second display units displays the operation screen.   5. The communication terminal device according to claim 3, wherein when the second usage posture is adopted, the first and second display units perform display operations in cooperation with or connected to each other.   The communication terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the specific function includes a wide camera function.

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